Sunday, 6 July 2008

News from Edmonton

Dear Friends:

Suzanne, Miriam, Naomi, and I arrived safely back in Edmonton late Monday night, after your warm send-off the day before. We're settling back in, reconnecting with (small f) friends. Miriam is doing a summer school module in chemistry, I've reclaimed my office at the university, and Suzanne starts back to work next week. Tonight we're MC'ing a celebration for some close friends having their 25th wedding anniversary. I (Robert) attended the Edmonton Quaker meeting today. There were about a dozen people, which is larger than I was expecting: a good size, I think -- not too small, but still intimate. I recognised several acquaintances. The meeting room is not quite as cheerful as Sheffield's, but the Spirit felt comfortingly familiar. They use (I suppose I should start saying "we use") the same Faith and Practice, and Advices and Queries, as BYM, so I don't have to go out and buy a new one. Speaking of Yearly Meeting, it turns out that the CYM conference is just around the corner, in August, at Camrose, Alberta (about 45 minutes outside of Edmonton by car ... I had been assuming I'd have to travel across the continent to get to any yearly meeting), so I'm very much looking forward to attending this, and meeting many new Canadian Friends. Further updates available upon request.